Bombshells ~ Complete

Chapter Fifty-Seven: Perfect

Hope everyone is safe and not sick! Sorry I haven't been updating like I used to. We're packing up our entire house and getting it ready to sell so that we can move to Florida for a better cancer center. Apparently, the cancer center that my mom is going to go to in Tampa, Mofit, is like eighth best in the USA. Again, hope everyone is happy and healthy, and I'm sorry for the late update. Here's a fluffy chapter to make up for my absence. 

Several Weeks Ago:

I walked into the kitchen and gasped. I slapped my hands over my eyes and tried to forget the sight that was officially burned into my memory. I never, ever needed to see Gabriel with his hands up some girls skirt while they made out on the kitchen counter.

I just wanted to make something to eat, but I had lost my appetite.

I steeled myself and turned back around, keeping my hands over my eyes and cleared my throat. When the sounds of the girl moaning about how good Gabriel felt stopped, I started talking.

"I would like some food. Gabriel, please take that somewhere, anywhere else." I begged, trying to keep from openly gagging in front of him. I peeked through one my hands and saw that Gabriel was flustered and trying to get the girl to leave. She was latched onto his arm like a leach. 

I would almost feel bad for Gabriel, except he defiled my kitchen and that was unacceptable. 

"Gabe, you don't have to listen to your stupid maid. We can do whatever we want." The girl whispered loudly, shooting me a biting glare, before sitting back on the counter. Gabriel, like all my brothers, hated me being talked down to. 

"Julia, go." Gabriel's voice sounded strained, like he could barely hold in his temper. I kinda hoped that the girl would just leave in a huff of irritation like they did on TV, but she didn't. She raised an eyebrow and leaned back on the counter.

"She's just a maid. What's she gonna do? Tell mommy?" The girl, Julia, asked mockingly. Some very bad things happened in that sentence. First off, degrading me. That was enough to make my brother's blood pressure skyrocket. Second off, degrading Lila. Combined with the first one, if Julia hadn't been female Gabriel would've already started hitting her. Third off, she asked all of that in a mocking tone that really angered my brothers.

"I'm sorry, but I believe my older brother told you to do something. And, as far as I'm concerned, angering any of the Steel brothers is a mistake in itself. You don't wanna see what mommy will do when she gets angry." I told her, my tone completely pleasant. Her jaw dropped and her eyes went wide, like the Steel brothers having a little sister was impossible. 

The girl started to leave the kitchen, but the door burst open and in flooded seven other boys talking about school and sports and girls. That was why I wanted to start cooking early, so they wouldn't have to wait for as long when they got home. Jaydon noticed Julia first and shot me an arched eyebrow. 

I only shrugged. 

I handed Gabriel some wipes and put him to work sterilizing my counters. 

"Who're you?" Ethan asked, moving to sit down. Julia looked over each boy with an appreciative look. Appreciative because most of them were sweaty because of their after-school practices, and the fact that their clothes stuck to them because of their sweat. Sure, my brothers were attractive. But the thought of a girl actually hooking up with them and thinking they were *gag* hot *gag* was extremely disturbing. 

"I'm a friend of Gabriel's from college. And you?" She asked, sliding closer to Ethan. He looked at her like she was insane, which she was since Ethan was still a minor, and pushed past her. She shrugged and moved on, introducing herself to each of the boys. They seemed very uncomfortable with the strange girl's attention.

"Dinner's ready. Julia, I won't kick you out but if you want to eat dinner here, you're going to need to stop flirting." I told her, opening the stove and pulling out the meatloaf. She scoffed and then the door slammed, telling me she left. I sighed. 

"Ariel, I think you understand how to stand up for yourself." Xavier said proudly. I looked at him and the rest of the boys in confusion.

"How was I standing up to her? I was setting ground rules for dinner." I said, sliding out of my oven mitts and then I placed them on the counter. Xavier's shoulders slumped and he shook his head, going over to the counter to grab himself a plate. 

When he walked past, I got a whiff of him. And that time I really did gag.

"Uh uh. You're going to shower before you get food. All of you." I said, plugging my nose as I pointed to the hallway. There were groans, but with one look at me they gave in and started rushing towards their bathrooms.

It was a good thing each boy had his own bathroom or else they would've been screwed.

"I smell something delicious." Lila said, walking into the kitchen with her nose up in the air and her eyes closed. Like she was a dog. I laughed and nodded.

"I made meatloaf. Want some?" I asked. I started cutting it up and putting it onto everyone's plate. Lila nodded eagerly and took a plate gratefully before looking around hesitantly. She had that expression on her face that told me she wanted to say something but she kept her mouth closed. 

"There's food. Where's the stampede of teenage boys?" She whispered, still looking around. I laughed once more, but this time I had to clutch my stomach. Lila, the bravest, scariest woman I'd ever met, was afraid of the boys jumping her for a slice of meatloaf.

The more I thought about it, I was terrified of the same thing happening. 

"Showers. They stank something awful." I told her. Her shoulders slumped like she had a thousand pounds placed on them when she couldn't see her sons. We got to chatting, waiting for all the boys to come rushing back into the kitchen. When everyone was in the middle of eating, something stirred in my gut.

It was this warm mushy feeling that I never wanted to end.

You know those moments in time where you wish you could hit pause so you would never have to leave it? Yeah, I was having one of those moments. 

I didn't have friends or a family or anyone who loved me my entire life. I was pretty sure my mom loved me, but she went insane when I was still pretty young and then I think the only thing she loved was singing to herself.

But this... This felt like something I had been searching for forever and had finally found.

Jaydon nudged my elbow and made me look at him.

"You okay?" He asked, looking concerned. I then realized I hadn't been eating and had only been staring at the beautiful scene of family in front of me. I nodded with a smile, tears welling up in my eyes.

"I'm perfect." 

And for the first time in years, I wasn't lying.

I was perfect.